Going Home
by HellRoze
Summary: While on a hunt with the Winchesters, Castiel gets transported back in time and comes face to face with a young Mary and her baby, Dean. If Cas doesn't get back to the present within thirty minutes, a mysterious life energy-eating monster will kill both him and his best friends. Cas enlists Mary's help - but he doesn't know how to keep Dean's future a secret from her.
1. After Dark

_**Author's Note:** _Hey everyone! So, I've had to take a really long break from writing due to my SUPER busy schedule. Applying to schools, taking classes and getting good grades, the whole thing. I'm trying to get back into the swing of my regular writing routine, so I decided to go to a Supernatural prompt blog (user destielficprompts) and write a short fanfic based on an idea I liked. This one was submitted to them by tumblr user lamppu. The prompt is too long to write here (it was basically an outline for an entire story!), but the gist was that Cas would end up in the past and would interact adorably with an infant version of Dean, with Mary wondering what their connection was.

In terms of the time, this should take place somewhere after Holy Terror (9x09), with the Winchesters and Cas out on a hunt. I'd like to imagine they're all living at the bunker together in this one.

Anyway, this is getting far too long, so on with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural or anything affiliated with the CW.

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><p>"What the hell is this thing?!" Dean yelled, stumbling back from the powerful punch the monster plowed into his stomach. It was the worst hit he'd ever taken; more than the wind being knocked out of him, it was like all of his energy had been sucked away, fed on by the creature. It was awful. He collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, his spine striking painfully against the concrete. His head smacked back, and he stared, dazed, up into the fluorescent lighting of the warehouse. A few feet away, Sam yelped as the monster grasped his shoulder, a small blue light transferring from him to the creature's hand. "Sam!" Dean cried out.<p>

Sam heaved up the heavy metal bar he was holding and smashed it into the thing's head. It released him, howling in pain and clutching its skull. Sam fell to his knees and gripped his upper arm, trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and called behind him, "Cas? What are we facing, here?"

On the other side of the room, the angel was having no better luck than the brothers. The third monster had him in a choke-hold, and was drawing the same blue light from Cas' neck. His eyes rolled back into his head, and the hand holding his angel blade went limp.

Dean sat up and looked behind him when his friend was silent, then jumped to his feet as soon as he saw that he was in peril. "CAS!" he shouted, grabbing his gun from where he'd dropped it and running over to the opposite end of the warehouse. He lifted the weapon into the air, aimed, and shot the beast straight in the chest. It released Cas, who fell to the ground and began coughing up blood and pounding his chest.

"I believe I know what this is!" Cas called out hoarsely, rubbing his throat. "Though I can't recall its name, I know that it feeds off of a human's energy. It will literally suck the life out of you." He turned to the others. "In mortal danger, it will send its opponent back in time for roughly thirty minutes, while time continues on in the present. During this time, it feeds on you from afar, and once the time is up, you die, unless you can find some way back to your own time."

Sam shuddered from his place on the floor. "That doesn't sound like fun," he muttered under his breath.

The sickly being turned it's attention to Dean.

Dean pulled the trigger again, but – of course – it was stuck. _Great. Just my friggin' luck. _He looked around hurriedly for something, anything, to help him against this thing, but there was nothing in sight. Gulping, he took a few steps back, his eyes racing in every direction. _This is it. This is where it all ends._ The monster was only a couple of feet away at this point, reaching out to him, trying to touch him -

Cas threw himself in front of Dean, holding his angel blade out in front of him as if it were a sword. The creature cowered back and shot a brilliant white light at him. The light swirled around Cas, circling its prey, then encapsulated him, before bursting around the room, showering everything in the brightest shine in existence. Dean shielded his eyes; it was like staring into the sun. After a few moments, however, the room returned to normal, and Dean pulled his arm away from his face. Only two of the three monsters were huddled together at the far end of the room, Sam was still on his knees nearby, and Cas was -

Not there.

Dean look around wildly for his best friend, but he was nowhere to be seen. _Shit,_ Dean thought. _Shit, shit, shit._

This meant only one thing.

Cas was going to die in thirty minutes.

* * *

><p>A cold rush of wind whipped his face, bringing him back into consciousness. He let a moan escape from his lips; his head felt like it had been hit by a pile of bricks, and his body ached all over. His sore muscles protested even when he tried to move a mere INCH. <em>These human bodies are so fragile, <em>he thought in frustration. _An injury like this would barely hinder my true form._

With a sigh, Cas slowly cracked open his eyes, taking a moment for his pupils to adjust accordingly to the velvety night sky. With a grunt, he placed his elbows on either side of him and heaved himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the pain in his vessel's abdomen. He groaned again, rubbing his temples with his fingers. Later, he'd have to ask Dean what the cure was for headaches. Though the grace inside him technically made him an angel again, it did nothing to prevent him from obtaining physical injuries, as well as from death.

Which meant that, if he could not find a way out of whatever time period he was currently in, he would die very, very soon.

Slowly, he climbed to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. He seemed to have landed in the middle of a park; the ground beneath him was shaped into a long, winding path, and he was surrounded by grassy hills and trees. If he listened hard enough, he could just make out the hoot of an owl.

He glanced behind him, searching for some sign of which way to walk to find the exit. Unfortunately, only pure darkness lay in both directions. He sighed, then started walking forward, hoping to meet someone along the way (though his rationality told him that nobody would be in a park this late at night). After a few minutes, however, he spotted a young woman on the curb, walking a small puppy. With her other hand, she clutched onto a stroller that held an infant.

Cas approached her. "Hello?" he called once he was several feet away. Her head shot up, making her blonde, wavy hair bounce, and she began to turn around. "Ma'am, I was wondering if you knew-"

Cas stopped short, blinking a few times, and felt shock course through him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was this merely a coincidence?

The woman stared at him, puzzled. "Yes...?" she questioned, her brow furrowing.

Cas' eyes shined, and he smiled just slightly. "Mary Winchester..." he murmured in wonder. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, saying a small thanks in case his Father, or anyone else, was listening.

Mary continued to stare. "Do I know you?" she asked, her face blank.

Cas quickly shook his head. "No. Well, you shouldn't, anyway." He reached down and took her hand, shaking it emphatically. "You were a hunter, correct?"

Mary's eyebrows lifted sharply. "Who wants to know?" she whispered, her voice steely. Her mouth formed a deep, stern frown. "Because I'm not anymore. That part of my life is done. It's over. I've moved on. Do you understand me?" She took a step closer to Cas, staring him down.

Cas clenched his teeth in frustration. _These headstrong Winchesters, _he thought in annoyance. "Yes. I know. But time is running out, and I require your help immediately. It will not take you long, and then you may return to your life." He gazed at her, his expression serious.

Mary folded her arms. "I have no idea who you are," she pointed out. "You could be a demon for all I know. Or a psychopath."

Cas ripped off his coat and spread his arms wide, like Dean told him to do when he was in this type of situation. This was apparently protocol when testing to see if a hunter was trustworthy. "You can pat me down and toss holy water on me, if you like. I'm not carrying weapons, and there won't be any smoke," he recited from memory.

Mary glanced him up and down, then opened her jacket and pulled out a small vial of the liquid in question from an inside pocket. She unscrewed the cap, took another step forward, and poured it over Cas' head. Her mouth quirked to the side, and she quickly gave his pockets a few short pats before walking back and nodding her head. "Okay. You're clean."

Cas exhaled in relief. "Thank you," he said sincerely, picking his coat up off the ground. "And my name is Castiel," he added.

Mary peered at him expectantly. "Castiel what?" she asked when he remained silent.

Cas started in surprise, then cursed himself for not coming up with a last name. "Castiel..." He searched his mind as fast as possible, then settled on the first thing he thought of. "Novak." He cleared his throat. "Castiel Novak." He tried to look honest (something Sam had informed him he was bad at, though he disagreed).

Mary tucked her hair behind her ear. "Castiel Novak," she repeated. Cas nodded. Mary pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "So, what's your problem?" she asked reluctantly.

"I'm from the future, and I was sent back in time during a fight with a supernatural being that is unknown to me," he stated bluntly. "It's currently feeding off of my life energy, and, in about 25 minutes, it will be done and I will be dead. I need to know how to get back to the future and, subsequently, defeat it." Though he'd heard of their existence, this, unfortunately, wasn't one of the creatures he'd known in great detail during the course of his time in Heaven.

Mary blinked. "Okay..." she said slowly, digesting the information. "And how do I know you're not just some crazy person? Huh? How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Cas pressed his knuckles against his forehead in exasperation. There wasn't time for this! He needed her help now if he wanted to figure out a way to get back to Dean and Sam before he died. He wracked his brain for an idea, some way to show her that he wasn't lying...

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. _That's it!_ He dug in his coat pocket for the old photograph he kept of the brothers whenever he was away from them. He'd collected it one day just over three years ago; it was lying on their hotel room desk, and was from before their father died. When he questioned it, Sam had explained that they were in a bar and Dean had just won his third pool match in a row, earning him $200 dollars. Sam decided to take a picture to celebrate the occasion. What was useful about the picture, however, was the fact that Dean was wearing John's leather jacket.

"Here," Cas grunted, handing Mary the picture. She took it cautiously, then looked down and studied it carefully. She gasped. "That's my husband's coat!"

Cas closed his eyes wearily. "I know."

Mary's hand flew to her mouth. "Who is this in the picture? Who's wearing it?"

"Your son."

Mary looked stunned. She glanced back to the baby in the stroller, then returned her focus to the man before her. "My Dean?" she asked, bewildered.

Cas nodded.

"Wait," she said, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. "If you're a hunter, and you know Dean in the future...does this mean I raise him to be one too? Why would I do that?" She sounded fearful.

Cas opened his mouth to confirm her theory, but stopped short when he saw her expression. Though he still didn't quite understand the different human emotions, his time as one of the beings made him realize that he must take a person's feelings into account when talking to them and adjust his replies accordingly. He tried to think of the situation from her point of view: almost losing her husband to a demon, hating her life as a hunter, finally getting away from it only to discover that her child would somehow end up involved in it. He gazed at her, feeling his heart go out to the poor woman. _The idea must cause her a lot of pain, _he realized, and felt a sudden rush of sympathy. _Well, I won't let her find out about the future. Not this time,_ he decided, setting his jaw in determination.

"No. Absolutely not," Cas lied. Mary's face flooded with relief, and Cas was glad. "We - we have the same day job," he continued. "I just...hunt on the side. But I knew you used to be a hunter, so I was very glad to find you here."

Mary smiled slightly. She took a deep breath. "Well," she started, "I suppose it won't cause much harm to help you out with this one. After all, it's not like it's a real hunt. It's just research."

"Yes, that's all," Cas agreed. "There's no danger, I can assure you." All of a sudden, he felt his heart begin to beat at an accelerated rate, and he doubled over, gasping. Numb. Everything was numb. He couldn't think, couldn't feel anything but the numbness. And the pain. The excruciating pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping and praying it would leave him alone, until he felt a sharp tug on his chest, forcing him to look down.

The blue light was being pulled from his heart.

He held his breath and stared at it, mesmerized. After what seemed like forever, it finally stopped, and Cas shook his head to get his bearings back.

Mary looked at him, terrified. "What was that?"

Cas' gaze fell to the ground in dismay. "My life being sucked away. I'm running out of time. Please, say you'll help me," he pleaded.

Mary surveyed him one more time, then finally nodded. "Okay. I'll do it. Let me just drop Dean off at home and get Lila here back to her owner's house," she said, gesturing to the small dog.

Cas smiled gratefully and fell into step beside her. _I hope Dean and Sam are okay in the future, _he thought nervously. _After all, time is still passing for them._

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><p><strong><em>Author's Note: <em>**That's all for now, folks! This is going to be super short (only about three chapters), so the next one should be up sometime this week. I know that there's no such thing as the monster described in the story, but I was too lazy to find an actually mythological creature that fit the bill, so you're stuck with the one I came up from my imagination :P Sorry about that. But considering how tiny fic is, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I've also taken some liberties with canon in terms of Cas' ingested grace (the one he stole from another angel), but they've never explicitly stated anything on or off the show regarding what taking in a grace that's not your own will do to your body, so it should be fine. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :)


	2. Creeping Shadows

_**Author's Note:** _As promised, here is the next chapter! This one takes place about 5 minutes after the first one ended, so Mary and Cas have dropped the dog off and are back at the house. Quick note: the love Cas feels for Dean in this chapter is PURELY FAMILIAL. I mean, in the future (where Dean and Sam are and where Cas came from) it can be romantic, but it would be creepy if it were anything besides platonic right now, considering Dean appears as a baby throughout. I ship Destiel, but only when Dean is an adult. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>"Here we are," Mary said with a sigh, flicking on the lights of her house. It was of a standard size and had a comfortable feel to it, what with all of the baby toys scattered everywhere. Mary motioned for Cas to follow her through a small hallway leading into a dark kitchen. More lights were switched on, and the room lit up brightly. Mary glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's 9:25," she muttered. She set Dean down in a tiny crib-like structure in the corner and ran a hand through her hair. "How much time is left?"<p>

"Roughly 20 minutes," Cas responded, his voice gruff. He pulled out a chair from the circular table and sat down heavily, placing his hands on the wood. This task would require intense research. Under normal circumstances this would be easy, but, unfortunately, they were on a strict time limit. "Where do you keep your books on mythology?" he inquired.

Mary raised an eyebrow. "I told you, I left that life behind me. I don't have anything anymore," she huffed. "But I do still have some contacts. Just for security, you know? Can't be too cautious." She turned to one of the many cupboards and yanked it open, pulling out a dusty black book. She brushed off some dirt and grime, then smacked the volume on the table. "This is a collection of some of the best hunters I know. How about we call one of them and ask if they know anything about your monster?"

Cas gave her a slight smile. "Thank you, Mary," he said softly. He turned to the book and carefully flipped it open, his hands gently caressing the delicate old pages. He ran his finger down the paper, stopping at a name that looked familiar. _Yes, _he remembered, _this would be the father of a hunter Sam and Dean are associated with. _He quirked up his eyebrow. _I suppose it runs in the family. _

"This one. We have mutual friends," he said, showing Mary the name. "Can you place the call?"

Mary nodded. "Got it," she replied, walking over to her phone and dialing the number. After a few moments, she said, "Hey, William, it's Mary. Winchester? I used to be Campbell. Yes, Samuel's daughter. No, I'm not in the business anymore. I'm just not. I don't want to – look, it doesn't matter right now." She rubbed her temples, suppressing a migraine. "I need you to check something out for me, okay? Yeah. It's a monster that feeds off of a person's life energy and sends them back in time when in mortal danger. Gives them 30 minutes to get back to their own time before their energy is gone and they die. Why? There's a hunter here, says he knows some of your friends. He's a victim of this creature, and he needs to know how to kill it and get back to the present. Oh...why not? What does that mean?" She brought the phone away from her ear and sighed loudly before resuming her conversation. "How far away are you? Well...all right. I'll come right over. Bye." She placed the phone back in it's receiver and spun to face Cas.

"Look, there's a bit of a problem...Will's got a book that seems like it has the exact thing you're looking for, but he can't make any sense of it and wants me to come over and bring it back to you so you can decipher it yourself." She bit her lip, worried. "Is that okay?"

Cas furrowed his brow. "That depends. How far away does he live?"

"About five minutes, walking."

"That gives us ten minutes with the book." Cas nodded. "That's more than enough time." He looked up, a sudden sense of darkness crawling up his skin. He shivered. "You need to go quickly. I can feel the monster – he's here. He wants my soul, and he will stop at nothing to get it."

Mary cleared her throat. "Listen, a hunter's house is no place for a child. I can't bring Dean with me – it's too dangerous. Can I trust you to look after my baby while I'm gone?" She stared him down, daring him to object.

Cas cracked a smile. "Absolutely. I couldn't let any harm come to him even if I wanted to," he replied steadily.

Mary chewed her cheek for a moment, then folded her arms. "Okay," she said, coming to a decision. "I trust you. Just...please, be careful. I'll only be gone for ten minutes, so it's not like I expect something to happen, I mean...I don't know." She looked at him helplessly, then inhaled deeply. "All right. I'm going now. Take care," she called, snatching her purse and heading out. The door slammed shut behind her.

After a few moments, a calm sort of quiet fell around the house. Dean breathed softly from his bassinet, and Cas leaned back easily in the cushioned dining chair. It was unsettling to see the Winchester house after knowing Dean and Sam for so long – a sad, melancholy feeling that he couldn't quite explain. It was unfamiliar to him, but upsetting all the same. Just seeing Mary Winchester was a troubling moral event. He felt sick at knowing her future, her whole family's future. _Where is this coming from? _he thought wildly, placing a hand on the table to steady himself. _I've met her before, I've even brought Dean back here to see why nothing could stop the future; why is it having such an effect on me? _He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The house smelled like cinnamon.

Cas' eyes watered. A sinking feeling began in the pit of his stomach, and his nerves prickled. The hair at the back of his neck stood on end. His gut clenched, and he looked up sharply.

_There's no doubt about it – the creature is here._

That was why he was feeling so odd, so human. His energy, his soul, was being slowly but surely sucked away by a vicious monster. He let a shudder pass through him, then watched the shadows on the wall grow longer.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp stab of pain in his torso and let out a shout. It was like a knife was being ripped through his muscle, his ribcage, sawing through his bones. He wrapped his arms around his middle, moaning in agony. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on something – anything – that would distract him from the hurting.

A baby's cry rang out.

Cas coughed and struggled to sit up.

Dean was awake and wailing as if the world was ending.

The pain in his chest stopped abruptly. Cas looked down at himself, alarmed at its sudden disappearance. He was noticeably paler than before, and he felt somehow...weaker.

Dean screamed again, and Cas' head shot up. He cautiously crept closer, peering over the edge of the crib. The baby stared at him, large tears dripping out of his emerald green eyes. _Still so vibrant, even at such a young age,_ Cas noticed. He blinked. _What am I supposed to do in this situation? _he thought, out of his element. The only other time he'd taken care of a child as young as this was when he babysat and almost got himself, and the baby, killed. He could NOT let anything like that take place this time – what if by picking Dean up, he hurt him? If something bad were to happen to Dean, he wasn't sure what would come of it. The angels might restore his soul to his body, but Mary and John would both know of the future, and their whole timeline would be altered completely. There was also the idea that there would be a mishap, that Dean would just stay dead, and aside from the fact that the whole future would be erased, Cas didn't think he'd be able to live with himself knowing he'd caused the death of his best friend.

However, the baby continued crying, and Cas was starting to think it would be MORE harmful to ignore him than to give in and see what was wrong. He very, very gently lifted Dean out of the crib and carefully cradled him in his arms. The baby hiccoughed and nestled his face into the crook of Cas' elbow. Cas felt an unexpected rush of warmth and love course through him. He held Dean more securely and set his jaw in determination. _I will protect this baby with my life,_ he thought.

He wondered what could be wrong. Mary mentioned earlier that she had fed Dean and gone out for a small walk that night, both to fulfill her promise to her neighbor to take care of the dog and to get some fresh air. This meant that hunger was out.

Cas leaned down and took a quick sniff. _Nothing of...that sort,_ he thought in puzzlement. _What can be wrong?_

But then, he sensed it.

The chill that ran up his spine.

The shadows on the wall grew longer, more menacing, and he felt a small tug at his chest.

The creature was here.

Dean sniffled, and Cas pulled him closer. "Shh..." he whispered, softly rubbing the baby's back. _This isn't good,_ he thought in worry. _I can't let anything bad happen to Dean. _Cas looked down, studying him. He was so innocent, his features untainted, still naïve, not knowing of the hardships he would soon face. Dean had mentioned once something about his mother singing to him before he went to sleep. He said it calmed him. _What song was it? _Cas tried to remember, searching through his file cabinet of a mind, while attempting to ignore his growing paranoia at the monster that was approaching. _Come on, think, think..._

_ Hey Jude._

Cas' eyes flew open. "Hey, Jude," he sang, recalling the song from one of Dean's cassette tapes. "Don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better." He rocked Dean back and forth, and the baby quieted, listening to him intently. "Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better." Cas gulped a breath. The beast was unstoppable if he didn't get that book in time. He would die, and he wouldn't be able to help the Winchesters in the future. He would never be able to see them again.

He would never be able to see Dean again.

Cas' breathing became raspy. "Hey Jude," he croaked, quickly walking to the hallway. "Don't be afraid." He pressed his forehead to Dean's. "You were made to go out and get her." He bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't fight the monster – it had already sucked out too much of his energy, his soul. His stolen grace was being eaten away, bit by bit. The most he could do was comfort his friend.

"The minute you let her under your skin-"

He could feel it. Surrounding him, coming from all sides, everywhere, all around the room. It was inside him, circling him, choking him. He couldn't breathe. He could only hold Dean closer, protect him from the evil, just for a little bit longer. There was so much evil coming up for him, Cas needed to keep him away from it for as long as possible.

The creature was directly behind him now. He didn't dare turn around; he wasn't even sure there was anything there in physical form. But it was in the air; the darkest form of hate, a pure monstrosity. Cas wasn't sure he could bear it. It was burying him – he couldn't feel anything but agony. He fell to his knees, and the impact resounded through the house. The monster was breathing over his shoulder, hot and sticky and disgusting. He curved his body over Dean's, trying as hard as he could to defend him from the revolting being. "Then you begin to make it better."

Dean blinked, then reached his tiny hand up and placed it on Cas' cheek. Cas inhaled sharply, forgetting about the creature for a moment. He held Dean tighter.

"Don't worry, little one," he murmured. "Angels are watching over you."

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><p><strong><em>Author's Note:<em>**That last bit was really fun to write, for some reason. I think it's because I like seeing Protective!Cas :P Anyway, the next (and final!) chapter should be up within the next week or so. Reviews are a nice little present, just so you guys know (they can even be critical, I'm not picky. It just makes me happy to know people are looking at my stuff). Either way, thanks for reading!


	3. Into the Storm

_**Author's Note:** _And here it is, the final chapter in this trilogy! I apologize for it taking a bit longer than usual, but I wanted to make sure it was perfect before I posted it :) You can interpret the last scene however you want, be it romantic or platonic. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>"Castiel!"<p>

Cas lifted his head sharply at the sound of someone saying his name. On the other side of the small glass window facing out to the backyard was Mary. Her eyes were wide with terror, staring, unblinking, at something directly above Cas' head. _Huh,_ Cas thought numbly, reaching up with the last of his strength to place Dean on the counter and out of harm's way. _I suppose the monster IS here physically after all._

Mary's face disappeared, and a second later the back door to Cas' right swung open. Mary raced inside, clutching a huge black book. There were creases running up its spine, and the front cover was a mess of cracked leather. She threw it carelessly down on the table and picked up a broom at the other end of the room before racing forward and smacking the handle against the creature's head. It turned and grabbed the broom from her, snapping it in half with its bare hand. It was larger than before, having grown from feeding off of Cas' soul. Mary bit her lip fearfully, backing up against the counter. She didn't have any weapons, not anymore. _What the hell am I going to do? _she wondered, her mind racing. Her eyes scanned the room wildly before landing on a rolling pin, which she snatched and hurled at the beast. The pin smashed into debris upon impact, having had apparently no effect on the thing. Mary's hand flew to her forehead, and she groaned.

Cas couldn't move. He couldn't think. It was as if he was paralyzed, caught in a spider's web with no way out. His back shook with the effort of staying upright. There was nothing he could do. He was about to die. He let his eyes fall shut and crumpled to the floor. Slowly, his mind went blank – all of his thoughts faded out, disappearing into the darkness, melding with it. He felt enveloped in a cold, unfeeling abyss. He couldn't climb out of it – it was swallowing him up. And he didn't even care.

"Cas!" Mary called urgently. The creature had her pinned against the wall, attempting to get rid of her before feasting on the last of Cas' energy. "Cas, if you can still hear me, I managed to flip through the book on my way back, and it said that the more willpower you have to fight against the monster's feeding, the weaker it'll become." She reached behind her, grabbed a knife, and stabbed it into the creature's eye. "Once it's weak enough, you can kill it with any ordinary weapon and get back to your own time," she continued. "It's a loveless being; it has no heart. That means love will weaken it the most!" The creature wrapped its claws around her throat and pitched her aside, letting her crash into the wall. She fell to the floor, unconscious.

Cas didn't move from the ground. He couldn't, really. He saw no point to it. He saw no point to anything. He was going to die, and he'd never know if the Winchesters were all right in the future. That was that. There was no way to beat this thing; why not succumb to its wishes? He had no willpower left. He had no energy left – no soul. He didn't care if he died. His mind had almost slipped away. Death was nearly upon him. All he had to do was relax, and -

_Dean._

The thought was sudden. It was short. But it raced through him, firing up his nerves and shooting through his blood, making his heart pump and his lungs expand, forcing him to gulp the air down and reawaken his mind. His eyes shot open.

_Dean isn't safe. Dean is exposed. Once I'm gone, the creature will go after him. Therefore, I must do everything I can to protect him._

His only focus was this order. It propelled him forward, expelling his paralysis, made him sit up and take in the scene before him. The monster had already begun moving towards the baby, but it stopped short when it sensed Cas had revived himself. Its eyes widened in shock and fear.

Cas smiled menacingly. His willpower was back – and he'd gotten it from Dean.

He slowly stood up, taking care not to over exert himself, and began taking long, leisurely strides towards the creature. It seemed to grow smaller with each step, shrinking back to its original size. Finally, Cas was only a few feet from it. They stood in a triangle, with Cas at one point, Dean at the other, and the monster in the third.

A draw. They looked at one another, daring the other to make a move first. Cas lowered his eyebrows in disgust, hatred flaring up inside of him. This beast had DARED to make a fool of him – an angel! He was revolted with himself. To think he had almost given in to death, almost let the being kill Dean – well, he would surely try to make up for it now.

Suddenly, the creature raced forward, quick as lightning, making to grab the baby. Cas started in surprise; he hadn't expected it to go after Dean again. He recovered after a moment and bolted after it, grinding his teeth. His rejuvenated energy was running out; the boost he'd received from the thought of Dean in peril wasn't enough. He slowed, exhaustion coming over him. He couldn't continue. The monster's hand was raised, ready to kill the infant.

_"NO!"_

Cas pushed himself forward, using the last of his energy to throw himself in front of Dean just as the beast's claw came down. Cas squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable pain.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

Seconds passed, and then minutes, and still nothing had happened.

Cas slowly opened his eyes, blinking to adjust his pupils. As his vision cleared, he saw the creature huddled against the wall several feet away, as tiny as a child. Cas furrowed his brow in confusion. _What's going on? It was just about to rip me to shreds; now it's cowering in fear. What happened?_

Cas moved forward, cautiously eyeing the monster. Its breaths were shallow and staggered, and its body shuddered every few seconds. _I didn't threaten it, all I did was -_

Cas' eyes widened. _Oh._

_ Love will weaken it the most._

He knelt down to the ground, feeling very tired all of a sudden. The fight had taken a lot out of him, and even though he'd recovered most of his soul now that the beast was weakened, he was incredibly weary. He was feeling generous, however, when he reached to the counter and picked up a large knife. He'd offer the creature, a quick, merciful death; he knew it was probably in excruciating pain.

He raised the knife high above him and brought it down fast upon the monster's throat, efficiently slicing its head off. Blood spurted from the wound, spilling onto the kitchen floor. Cas grimaced. He wouldn't have time to clean it, unfortunately, because a bright white light had begun emanating from his hand immediately after the blade of the knife hit the beast's neck. He would only have about two minutes before he was sent back to the future.

Cas stood up and moved over to Mary, gently shaking her arm to awaken her. She began mumbling incoherently, slowly rising to a sitting position, and rubbed her head, groaning. "What happened?" she inquired, her voice raw from screaming.

Cas held her arm and guided her to her feet. "The creature is dead, I will be departing shortly, and your son is safe." He looked down sheepishly. "Though I do apologize for the mess I've made of your kitchen."

Mary sighed, glancing at the corpse in mild annoyance. "It's okay; my husband's on a road trip with his friends for a few days, so I should have it cleaned up by then." She collapsed into one of the wooden chairs, and her gaze moved to Cas' worried face. "Could you bring me my baby?"

Cas nodded, turning around and carefully picking Dean up from his spot on the counter. He carried him over to Mary, smoothing his blanket before placing him in her arms. Mary looked at him kindly.

Cas smiled, then took a breath. "It was very nice to meet you, Mary," he said, holding out his glowing hand. "I thank you greatly for helping me, and I'm extremely sorry for all the trouble it caused."

Mary grasped his hand tightly, her face warm. "It's all right, Castiel. I have to admit, hunts are just as exciting as I remember. Really gets the adrenaline going." She huffed out a laugh, then grew somber. "But that's it. No more after this one. I have a family to care for." She released him and settled herself back in her chair. Suddenly, she lit up. "I just have one more question!" she exclaimed.

Cas' whole body was glowing now. "What is it?" he asked.

"When I was coming back, I saw you whispering something to Dean through the window. What did you tell him?"

Cas gave a small smile. "I told him that angels are watching over him."

A great burst of light showered through the room. Mary shielded her eyes, holding Dean's face against her shoulder. After a moment, the room returned to normal, and Cas was gone. Mary cradled her baby, pondering the strange man's words. _Hold on a minute,_ she thought, sitting up straighter. _Isn't that what I tell Dean every night?_

* * *

><p>A loud crack resounded through the warehouse, making Dean snap his hands over his ears. <em>What the hell?<em> But when he looked to see where it came from, his face lit up with joy. "CAS!" He made to run forward, but the monsters pinned him to the wall alongside his brother. He groaned in frustration. It had been going on like this for half an hour; the beasts would nearly kill him and Sam, they'd wriggle out from beneath the things' grasps, then spend the next five minutes trying distract their enemies before the cycle started over again. But this time, it seemed like there was no escape. Dean closed his eyes, his muscles tensing up – but instead of being struck dead, he heard two loud _shhinks, _like the sound of a sword cutting through skin, and a set of identical cries of pain. He lifted his lids to find both of the monsters sprawled on the cement floor, blood pooling around them. Cas stood behind them, holding a red kitchen knife.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said, smiling. He turned. "Sam," he greeted, bowing his head slightly.

Sam stared at him in shock. "How come you couldn't do that before?" he asked after a moment.

Cas wiped the knife on the sleeve of his coat. "Because I had a weak willpower at that time. Since then, it has strengthened considerably."

Dean blinked, then grinned. "Well, I'm just glad you're all right, man." He gently punched Cas' shoulder. "And, you know, that you got here in time to save our asses. Thanks for that."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, thanks," he said. "We weren't sure how to beat those things, but it looks like you came up with something." He smiled at Cas, then pushed his hair back and out of his face. "Well, I'm gonna go get some body bags from the trunk for those guys." He nodded to the corpses on the ground, then jogged to the exit.

Dean leaned against the wall, massaging his wrist. "So, where did you end up? How'd you get back?" he asked, looking up at Cas.

Cas bit his lip and avoided Dean's gaze. "The 90s, New York City," he lied, crossing his arms behind his back. "I went into an alleyway and found a book on mythology in a dumpster-"

Dean sighed, cutting Cas off. "Dude, we both know that's not true," he said, stepping forward and grabbing Cas' shoulders. He stared him squarely in the face, forcing Cas to meet his eyes. "Now, tell me what REALLY happened."

Cas looked at him for a moment, then inhaled deeply and said, "I went to Lawrence, Kansas, when you were a baby, and I asked Mary Winchester for help researching the monster." He lifted his chin defiantly.

Dean took a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock. He shook his head, composing himself. This wasn't anything new. Cas had done this before; HE'D done this before. "Did she?" he asked quietly.

The corners of Cas' lips quirked up. "Yes, she did."

"Was Dad there?"

"No, he was on a trip."

"Was I there?"

"I just told you, yes."

Dean rolled his eyes. "No, I mean, did I get hurt? Was I in the way of the fight?"

Cas gave a small laugh. "A bit, but don't worry, I protected you."

Dean smiled. "You did?"

Cas nodded. "That's actually what weakened the monster," he said softly. "It didn't like sacrifice."

_He sacrificed himself for me?_ Dean thought. He felt a clench of surprise in his stomach, along with a touch of fear and displeasure. He didn't like it when people did that; he felt it should be the other way around, with him sacrificing himself for them. He shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that."

"But I did, and that's that," Cas stated firmly. He studied Dean's face. "I want you to know that you deserve it. You're worth saving, Dean."

Dean's breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded in his chest. _That's a lie._ It unsettled him when Cas said things like that, because Cas _knew _things. He wasn't just some random person, he was an angel. An all-powerful being. And he was saying that he would die for Dean in an instant.

Dean's mind raced, trying to come up with a response. "I...That's not-"

Cas stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "Dean," he whispered. "It's okay."

Dean felt like his heart was about to burst. Was Cas telling the truth? Even after all he'd done, all the lies he'd told...Cas still thought so highly of him. Maybe...he didn't want to believe it, but he felt the idea sparking in his mind. _Maybe he's right._

"Thank you." It came out all in a rush, his breath releasing as he said it, but it felt _good. _It felt right. Cas smiled again, and Dean felt a small flower of warmth bloom in his chest.

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Note: <strong>_And...that's it! The end. That last scene got a bit mushy, lol, but I think it's okay. Not sure when my next story will be, but I'm back in the "writing mood", so probably soon. I hope you all liked this one!


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